Cleaning Up Flood Damage after Storms Hit Omaha

8/13/2021 (Permalink)

Recent flash flood in Downtown Omaha

SERVPRO Mitigates Omaha Area Storm Damages with a Fast Response

There are many reasons why a storm can create localized flooding in Omaha. As the open land areas around your neighborhood are developed more and more into homes, offices and retail, the soil beneath them that once absorbed rainfall is now covered with roadways and buildings that shed rain run-off. During storms local drainage systems, creeks and rivers can be overwhelmed by the rapid run-off and begin to overflow. Recent construction can change the way rainwater flows, affecting areas that have never experienced flooding problems in the past, and torrential downpours can simply douse an area too quickly for the rain to disperse harmlessly. A "wet microburst" is a small storm event, usually no larger than a few square miles, that can bring both high winds, torrential rainfall and hail in a very short time which can quickly overwhelm local flood control systems.
 
Homes in or near Omaha can suffer flood damage and other harmful effects from microbial and chemical contamination during severe storms. Between the state of flooding and any resulting reconstruction work that must be done, a flooded home needs mitigation to reduce potential water damage and restore building materials that can be saved. Rapid water extraction can significantly reduce reconstruction costs. Our SERVPRO technicians are trained, certified and experienced in flood damage mitigation.  We start by using both truck mounted and portable pumps to remove the standing water on non-porous surfaces and extract it from carpeted floors. We then employ drying equipment for rapid drying to reduce the amount of water damage the materials inside your home can suffer.
 
Since flooding brings in more than water, we also thoroughly clean and sanitize each home during the remediation process. As rainwater travels away from where it fell onto the ground, the run-off picks up pollutants such as automotive fluids, fertilizers, pesticides, and even raw sewage. Groundwater flooding that enters your home can bring pollutants from these and other sources that can seep into porous materials such as carpet and padding, drywall, insulation in exterior walls, upholstered furniture, and anything else that flood water saturates. Homes can also have substantial amounts of washed-in debris such as garbage, tree branches, leaves, silt, and other objects that require fast and complete removal.

SERVPRO of Omaha Northwest has the tools, skills, and IICRC certificates to prepare your flood damaged home for reconstruction, saving you time, money, and aggravation. No matter the time or day of the week, you can contact us by calling (402) 800-2134.